SundayZip

@KevinKeepsItReal, I'm sorry that people criticized your initial post. When I have face-to-face interactions with people, I typically ask about them before reciting stuff about myself. It seems that here, some expect you to post about yourself before asking about others (not sure I agree with that). But whatever, I appreciate the question and here are my top reasons for hiring: I want to have sex with men who would not otherwise have sex with me. I can let go sexually in a way that I would not with a man I casually date. I can let go of my insecurities about meeting expectations regarding sexual performance.

I learned, "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned" although now I might prefer, "Bless me, Daddy, for I have sinned." 🙂

Ha! We were discussing how staff managing admission could distinguish between worshippers and tourists. We decided they should make everyone wanting to enter do the sign of the cross (quickly) and recite the first sentence of the standard confession ritual. Those who falter would be deemed a tourist. People like me (although no longer a practicing catholic) could do it my sleep.

I attended Sunday morning mass at Notre Dame a couple months ago. Although there was a long line of tourist waiting to get it, we (two of us) went to the front and said we were there to attend mass. They let us in right away; no ticket, no fee. Having been raised Catholic, I enjoy experiencing the familiar ritual of mass in other cultures and languages.

Interesting piece in the NY Times today. According to the article, Edward Yardeni, independent Wall Street economist and strategist, "... estimated a range of 'subjective probabilities' for the stock market. There is a 60 percent chance that the bull market will continue, a 25 percent chance of a bear market caused by a recession, and a 15 percent chance of a melt-up." This is my first encounter with the term, melt-up. Investopedia: Melt-Up

Breaking the Deadlock Phenomenal 1 hour production on PBS, the second in a series. Every high school student in the US and everyone who votes solely on soundbites and social media propaganda should watch this after a short (15 minute) primer on the US constitution. I first watched this on TV then found it on youtube to share and watch again. I won't go into details on this post and risk a reprimand for posting about politics. Watch and decide for yourself.

The problem with this strategy is you need take money of the stock market when "you think" it's at a peak and about to decline. But if the decline doesn't come and instead, the market continues to grow, you lose out on the growth.

My little experiment helps confirm that adage "time in the market beats timing the market". If I would have just left the money in the stock market when I started the experiment, the value would have grown by 12%. Instead, I got a modest 3.8% by holding the money outside the market in anticipation of buying low and then selling high.

I was looking at the stock market a couple weeks ago when it became apparent that we're going to see a lot of market volatility due to <what can't be spoken here>. I decided to see what sort of investment growth someone can get from this volatility so I created a limit order in my brokerage account to automatically purchase a small number of shares of Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF (VTI) if the price dipped below $260. A couple days later it did and I immediately created another limit to sell if the price hits $270. It did today. That's a gain of 3.8% in less than 10 days. I now have another limit order in place to buy again if/when it drops back down to $260. If/when it does, I'll buy and repeat. It will be interesting to see how this goes.

I was blown away by this series: A really terrific screen play with amazing acting and directing.

I saw it with a couple friends who insisted on going. I sat through most of the movie thinking; Oh My God, why the F*** am I sitting here watching this trite bubblegum fluff? It was all cutesy special affects with songs and performances perfect for a teenage girl into pink valentines and roses. I was hating it. That said, I did enjoy the last scene and Cynthia Erivo's terrific performance of Defying Gravity -- but not enough to recommend the movie to anyone over the age of twelve.

Wearing a suit on vacation? Not if I can help it. I keep a few ties, a blazer, and a sport coat for weddings and funerals, but that's it for me.

It was my goal, a few years back, to travel with just a carry-on. But now I almost always check my bag, even if it's carry-on size. I tend to get to the airport early to avoid the stress of not knowing how long lines will be, etc. I check my bag, get through the lines then move about with nothing but my carry-on backpack. Getting some exercise doing a brisk walk around the airport is preferable to sitting at the gate or in a lounge (for me, anyway).

I think this a thread where I can finally post one of my pet peeves about air travel. It's how people crowd the baggage carousel. Everyone stands extremely close to the carousel making it difficult to see if your bag on the carousel coming your way. It's the stupidest thing ever. But when everyone does it, you have no choice but do it yourself. Or, if you stand back and try to watch through gaps in the crowd, you have to squeeze through people to retrieve your bag. I was recently at an airport that had created a no-stand zone around the perimeter of the baggage carousel. Yes! I hope this catches on at other airports.

Quite honestly, BenjaminNicholas, if I were to hire a travel companion, I think it would be you. You're no longer 21 (I believe 🙂) which I view as positive. I also believe you're worldly enough to be wonderful company and have the "travel intellect" to ease the stressful parts of traveling. Please do not tempt the susceptible!

The I fucked up, help fixt it, thread created by @Coolwave35, fascinates me. Back in the day, long before I retired, I day-dreamed that one day I might have enough money to entice a sexy young man to travel with me. We'd see far-off, exotic places together and have wonderful sex after a full day of marvelous activities (a lot like the vacation that @coolwave35 describes). It was just dream for me back then. Now that I'm retired, I'm somewhat surprised that I have the financial resources to do exactly that (a combination of good luck and good investing). What I've also discovered is that I prefer traveling with people closer to my own age with similar likes, dislikes and life experience; people who I know, with certainty, will enjoy my company regardless of who picks up the tab. Not that I don't enjoy occasional time spent with sexy young men who are compensated for their intimate companionship. But the terms of those dates should be well defined with me having no expectation that they'd choose to hang out with me 'off the clock.' Maybe my change of heart is due to a lack of self-confidence. Maybe if I had more self-confidence, I'd assume that attractive young men, half my age, would choose to travel with me with no strings attached. Or maybe, I wouldn't care as long as they were convincing actors. But I think my own insecurities would get in the way. How do others feel about mixing extended, immersive travel companionship with more 'intimate services?'

Correct. Life would be so much easier if everything could be answered by a formula.

The age I find most attractive correlates to the change in my age per the following formula where X equals my current age and Y = 20. Most attractive age = (X-Y)/5+Y

Nice! I'm jealous.

Saskatoon in Saskatchewan... Lovely ☺️

"That said, turkey is overrated. I'd rather eat great Mexican." 100% agree! I'm intrigued by San Miguel de Allende. This is the second time within the last month or so that this city has been recommended to me (not necessarily for Thanksgiving). I'm guessing that the best way to get there is flying to Mexico City then get a bus or rental car (??). Although I know Mexico City pretty well, I've heard it's dangerous for Americans to drive or take a bus outside of the city. Of course I hear people say Mexico City is super dangerous which I know is BS.

Thanks for the suggestion! El Tovar is sold out for this Thanksgiving, but I'll add it to my list for a future date. I've never been to the Grand Canyon!

The rooms have a HVAC unit under the window and I'm 85% sure you can turn it off. I don't have a problem sleeping with low level white noise, but I am bothered by fans turning off and on during the night. So, I like to turn HVAC units off before going to bed. Because I'm only 85% sure, you might want to call the hotel to verify. I'd hate to steer you wrong.

Hmmm.... interesting. Can you have a turkey & dressing picnic hanging over the rim of the Grand Canyon?

I have no plans for Thanksgiving. Although I have an invitation to spend the day with a brother and his family, I've spent almost 70 years of my life being with family on major holidays, often hosting large gatherings myself. Now I'd rather do something else, preferably getting on a plane and going somewhere in North America. NYC seems like an obvious choice, but my favorite hotel is close to triple its usual rate during Thanksgiving. I'm also leery of the NYC Thanksgiving holiday tourist crowds. Any suggestions for other destinations?